Easy Hikes in Acadia National Park that are Dog Friendly

Did you know that every year Acadia National Park receives roughly 4 million visitors and is one of the top 10 most visited national parks in the USA? Despite being one of the smaller national parks in the US, Acadia is made up of 47,000 acres of wooded areas, granite peaks, and rocky coast lines. The Maine national park has over 150 miles of hiking trails for you to explore!

This post covers the most popular easy hikes in Acadia that Amanda completed with her dog in August 2023. While she isn’t a professional hiker (is that even a thing?), she does love the outdoors and hiking is one of her favorite things to do.

Acadia did not disappoint and in fact lived up to all the hype! She completed the below easy hikes in Acadia in 2 days. And while her legs felt like they were going to fall off, she loved every second of it. Returning to Acadia for a longer trip remains on her bucket list! 

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Best Time To Visit Acadia National Park

While the park is open year round, your experience will vary greatly depending on when you visit. The peak season for visitors is June to September. This is likely due to temperatures beginning to rise, with the summertime peak being around the low 70s. In the winter, the temperatures can average around the low 30s with some of the trails transforming into cross-country ski trails. If winter outdoor exploration is your thing, then be sure to review what Acadia has to offer during the winter – after all, it is technically a year-round park! 

When Amanda, her wife, and their dogs visited in August 2023, it was difficult to find parking spots near the most popular trails and lookouts. There were lines for the restrooms and water fountains, and the gift shops were busy.

Once they got onto the trails, the crowds drastically thinned out which was a massive relief – nothing is worse than feeling cooped up on a hiking trail! When able, we HIGHLY suggest planning your trip at the very beginning or toward the end of peak season to avoid the large crowds and tourist season prices. But, to each their own!

How To Get To Acadia National Park 

Acadia National Park is located on the northern Atlantic Coast of Maine, roughly a 3 hour drive north from the popular destination of Portland. After arrival, depending on the time of year of your visit, you can enjoy a car-free visit and leverage the free shuttle bus system. It has multiple stops throughout the park and connects with the neighboring town of Bar Harbor. 

If needing to fly into the area, the nearest airports are Bar Harbor, Bangor, Rockland, and Portland. 

Island Explorer is a FREE bus transportation option. It is a great way to get around Acadia National Park, especially when the parking lots become full within the first few hours of the day! This well designed shuttle system has 13 routes that connect neighboring town of Bar Harbor to the park as well as the east side of Mount Desert Island to the west side. It is very easy to use, and it was consistently on time during our trip! The bus is dog-friendly as long as the dog remains on leash, is well behaved, and is not bothersome to fellow passengers. You’ll see this transportation option mentioned throughout this post, because it connects to a lot of the easy hikes in Acadia!

Preparing For Your Easy Hikes in Acadia

Acadia National Park truly has hiking options for every hiker. They range from mostly flat, short-ish hikes and walking trails for beginners (or those hiking with kids and dogs) to all day hiking extravaganzas that include steep cliff drop offs and climbing iron rung ladders to the summit. Regardless of the difficulty of the hike you are doing, below are some things to keep in mind to be the best little hiker you can be. 

• Check the park’s website for the latest information on closures.
• Dogs must be on a maximum 6 foot leash at all times and are not permitted on the ladder trails. Be a well-behaved dog parent and clean up after your dog, please and thank you.
• Be a prepared hiker! Find a comfy & durable backpack to carry everything you need. 
• Always carry at least 32 oz of water, nutritionally dense snacks (ex. trail mix, dried fruit, protein bars), and your fav candy, because we all deserve a lil treat after a hard hike.
• A first aid kit is always handy for hikes, because CVS doesn’t have mid-hike pop ups, and you gotta be prepared
• If hiking with kids or dogs, carry enough water and food for them too (& yes, that includes your dog! They need energy & hydration too on hikes, especially if they aren’t accustomed to it). These bowls are great for hiking with dogs, because they collapse flat for easy storage in your backpack!

Need inspo on travel gear for your dog? Check out our blog post on the 10 Best Items For Traveling With Dogs

Easy Hikes in Acadia National Park that are Dog-Friendly

Ocean Path Trail

Ocean Path Trail is an easy dog-friendly trail at Acadia National Park. This “hike” is more accurately described as a walking trail which totals 2.2 miles one way, or 4.4 miles round trip. It is a semi-narrow trail with varied terrain from packed gravel / concrete to loose gravel then to dirt.

The Atlantic Ocean with stunning cliff drop offs is on one side, and the Park Loop Road is on the other. At some points, the path is directly adjacent to the main road like a sidewalk. At other parts, it weaves closer to the coastline. There are multiple places to stop and take in the view along the trail too which adds to the ease of it!

We suggest that hikers start at the Sand Beach parking lot. This is one of two restroom options along this hike and one of the best parking options with a two tiered lot and road parking available. From the Sand Beach parking lot, you will head south towards Thunder Hole, then continue onwards to the end point at Otter Cove. Once you arrive at Otter Cove, you can either turn around and take the same trail back to Sand Beach or hop on the Island Explorer for a little drive around the island!

*Check current conditions while planning your trip. During some winter storms in early 2024, parts of the Ocean Path Trail trail were damaged and are currently under repair.

Thunder Hole

Thunder Hole is a picturesque lookout point that is popular year round & can be accessed via the Ocean Path Trail’s small parking area with accessible parking or the Island Explorer bus stop. This unique vantage point looks out over the Atlantic ocean as well as into a narrow cave that during high tide creates loud, thunderous claps as the waves slam into it. During low tide, you can take the stairs down closer to the water to see the waves up close when they are less aggressive. This is a dog-friendly stop option too! 

Jordan Pond Path

Jordan Pond Path is another easy hike in Acadia National Park that is dog-friendly! While we would describe this as another walking trail rather than a hike, who really cares what we call it when the whole point is to enjoy nature and be outside? Just know that this is another easy trail great for beginners.

This 3.3 mile hike loops around Jordan Pond with half of the journey traversing over a narrow boardwalk and the other half designated with a clear path made of crushed stone / gravel. Also located at this trailhead is the Jordan Pond House restaurant, trailhead restrooms, and a park gift shop. While this hike is not accessible, you can enjoy the stunning view of the pond and the Bubbles in the background from the lawn of the restaurant! 

Bass Harbor Head Light Station

Bass Harbor Head Light Station is on the opposite end of Mt. Desert Island. It is roughly a 40 minute drive from Sand Beach to Bass Harbor if driving by yourself or you can take the Island Explorer via the Southwest Harbor and Tremont shuttle lines. The bus route which takes roughly an hour from the Bar Harbor Village Green stop to the Bass Harbor Stop followed by a .5 mile walk.

This lighthouse appeared on the America the Beautiful quarter in 2012, the NPS centennial postage stamp in 2016, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. So, it is a must visit for any lighthouse lover!

You have two options to see the light station – via the right side following a paved ramp, or via the left side down a flight of stairs and scrambling over the boulders lining the coastline below (guess which option Amanda chose!). For those who love stunning sunset views, this is one of the top sunset vantage points in the area!

Cadillac Mountain

Cadillac Mountain is one of the iconic landmarks in Acadia National Park with debatably one of the best vantage points overlooking the Maine coastline. While most visitors will opt to drive the windy 3.5 mile paved road to the top, you can also complete hike to the top via 2 trails: Cadillac North Ridge Trail (4.4 miles roundtrip, dog-friendly, easiest option) and Cadillac South Ridge Trail (7.1 miles roundtrip, dog friendly).

When visiting between May and October, vehicle reservations are required to drive to the top for crowd control. Viewing the sunrise and sunset from the top of Cadillac Mountain is both breathtaking and extremely popular. So if this is on your bucket list, we highly suggest securing your reservation in as early as possible. The Island Explorer does not go to the top of Cadillac Mountain, so a vehicle or your two hiking feet will be the only options to get you to the top.

At the top of the summit, you will find both a restroom and a gift shop. While the views are supposed to be phenomenal, when Amanda and her wife visited the park the entire summit was enclosed by clouds and they could not see a single thing! It was eerie, but still stunning, in a creepy horror movie kind of way. 

Another eerie place you can visit with your dog in the USA is Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island! Read about it and other dog-friendly places in our Dog Friendly Guide to Jekyll Island

Be Sure To Visit Bar Harbor

No trip to Acadia is complete without a visit to Bar Harbor! You’ll find an assortment of places to stay, local shops to meander around in and delicious bars and restaurants to fuel up at before or after exploring Acadia.

Amanda wasn’t able to spend too much time exploring Bar Harbor, but she did enjoy a Cheesy Chicken Melt & Lobster Mac and Cheese from Side Street Cafe that still makes her mouth water! Don’t be like Amanda – make time to explore Bar Harbor while you’re in the area!

For Advanced Hikers

Acadia has plenty of more challenging hikes for those that like a thrill. See the list below for the most popular options. These trails are strenuous, and often involve climbing iron rung ladders up the cliff edge or navigating narrow paths with dramatic drop offs. 

• The Precipice Trail – considered the hardest & most dangerous hike in the whole park!
• Jordan Cliffs Trail
• Beech Cliff Trail
• Dorr Mountain Trail 
• Beehive Loop 

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Tell us in the comments below what you think abut these easy hikes in Acadia National Park! We’d love to hear about any trails you’ve hiked there with your pups.

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